Jonathan Dwyer to start for Steelers

Jonathan Dwyer, one of four backs who were benched only to be reinserted during a fumble-filled loss in Cleveland, will start Sunday in Baltimore and get the majority of the work, Tomlin said Tuesday.

Dwyer ran for 122 yards against the Bengals and 107 yards against the Redskins, but a quad strain kept him out the following week as Redman ran for 147 yards against the Giants. In the three games since, no back has gained more than the 56 yards Dwyer produced against the Chiefs.

“He’s been consistently the most productive guy,” Tomlin said of Dwyer, who has a team-leading 429 yards and a 4.4 average per carry. “I think we’ve got a large enough body of work to be able to identify that at this point. ... Over the course of the last several weeks, it’s obvious that he, one, is healthy and, two, is the most productive of the group.”

Fantasy Impact:

Rashard Mendenhall has been demoted to third string behind Isaac Redman. It certainly sounds like Dwyer will be the lead back against the Ravens on Sunday. His effectiveness will depend on whether or not Baltimore respects the Steelers' passing game. That won't be the case with Charlie Batch under center.